


Performance for the Gods

by Anonymous



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: A3! Big Bang, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, Japanese Mythology & Folklore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29798409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: The Mankai Company gets a request... to perform at the youkai world for the land god's festival?! Even with a kitsune, oni, and god in the cast, it still seems hard to not be swept into trouble. With Misumi being more eccentric than usual and Tenma still struggling to face youkai head on, can they put on a successful show?
Relationships: Arisugawa Homare & Tachibana Izumi, Ikaruga Misumi & Arisugawa Homare, Ikaruga Misumi & Summer Troupe
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: A3! Big Bang 2021, Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

“Thank you for accompanying me today, Chikage!” 

“No problem.”

Chikage and Izumi walked down Veludo Way, carrying groceries. Chikage was still in his work suit, though he had his blazer off. He glanced at the cloth bags, “Say, what’s for dinner tonight?”

Izumi raised the bag she held. “There was a sale for cucumbers today, so I bought some fish and shellfish for sushi. I’m thinking of letting Citron and Banri help out later.”

Chikage nodded. “Did you buy wasabi too? There was that new brand that claimed to be spicier than others.”

“Oh that!” she frowned. “It wasn’t as spicy as they claimed, so I just bought mild ones for everyone else. Yuki doesn’t like wasabi either.”

“Huh.”

The shopping district was silent for a weekday afternoon. Light chatter filtered in from the shops, and there were few people on the street. There weren’t too many sales this time, Izumi noted. Dying glow from the setting sun colored the surrounding in orange and casted tall and dark shadows on the roads. The day was clear with a few clouds in the horizon, along with a few puddles from this afternoon’s rain.

“Tachibana-dono!”

The tiny voice made Izumi pause in her tracks and look around. The shopping district had few people running about. No one was looking in their direction. 

Chikage also stopped. “Is there something wrong, director?”

“Here, here!”

She spotted a movement in the shadow of a lightpost, and piercing red eyes appeared in the shadow. Izumi squinted at them for a bit more before it clicked. She headed over to the light post, with Chikage hanging back, staring at her strangely. 

She smiled at the post. “You’re Shizu, right? Sorry for not recognizing you at first.”

The shadow moved up excitedly as they shifted up the pole to be on eye level with Izumi. There were faint outlines of traditional clothes on the female’s shadowy figure. Shizu waved at the director, her kimono sleeves fluttering. “It’s alright! I’m so glad Tachibana-dono remembers me!”

“I’m grateful for your help in looking for Masumi. Thank you so much, Shizu.”

“I don’t mind it! ...Ah, how is Misumi-sama?”

“He’s doing fine.” 

“I’m glad to hear that!” 

The shine in the kage-onna’s eyes was reminiscent of a child’s as she gestured to a tiny yet pristine triangular container at the base of the light post. “Oh, I found this triangular container last night! I would love to give it to Misumi-sama, but he doesn’t pass by here these days.”

She blinked. “He doesn’t ?”

“Oh…” Shizu deflated, her shoulders slumping. “My bad. I’m sure he has other duties to attend to, it’s really fine if he doesn’t visit for a while.”

Though she may say that, her posture said otherwise. No one really knew what Misumi was a god of, but he himself had said that the others don’t need to worry about it. The dorms are far better than the cold and tiny shrine he had grown up in, and he doesn’t wish to go back to living alone. Despite not having a shrine, he’s worked out favors with the local youkai. They liked him since he exuded kindness and warmth to the youkai around town, especially those who couldn’t or didn’t want to go back to the other world. 

_ Still, the youkai here really look up to Misumi a lot… _

“I’ll tell him to pay you guys a visit next time,” Izumi promised.

“I can’t ask that of you, Tachibana-dono!” Shizu gasped, shaking her head frantically. “What would Misumi-sama think of it?!”

“Trust me. He wouldn’t mind at all.”

Shizu didn’t answer at first. Izumi expected more resistance, but to her surprise, the kage-onna only did a thumbs up. Her overlapping shadow seemed unsure of the gesture, putting up both her hands but dropping one after.

“That is very…” Shizu paused. “... _ otsu _ ? I think I’ve heard some children yell out that term lately.”

Izumi wouldn’t have known what that meant without living with Itaru, and she found it endearing. She chuckled. “He’d also love the triangle container!”

“Thank you for doing this!”

“It’s no problem at all.”

“Goodbye, Tachibana-dono, Utsuki-dono!”

“...That was a youkai, right?” Chikage asked, once Shizu bid goodbye. The stars in the sky were beginning to show up, twinkling above them. They’d have to go now in time for dinner.

“Yes. Shizu’s the kage-onna that helped us find Masumi’s grandma. She’s a pretty friendly youkai.”

“I see,” Chikage hummed. “Myths are just myths in the end.”

“You can’t see them, right?” 

Chikage nodded. “Sakuya said it had something to do with belief, if I recall correctly.”

“I’m surprised you and Hisoka are the most normal in the dorms.”

They wouldn’t even see the otherworldly features the youkai in the dorms have, even though they weren’t hiding it. Not that it deterred Hisoka from sleeping on Homare’s tails. Sakuya had noted that some people just didn’t have the inclination to see other beings, much like how others had the inclination to see them.

“So the director isn’t normal? Are you some sort of curry youkai in disguise?” Chikage teased, chuckling when Izumi pouted.

“Chikage, that’s mean!”

“But it’s true; the others think you’re some sort of curry demon.”

Izumi hummed contemplatively, lips set in a smile. “I don’t know what’s wrong with curry everyday… but being a curry youkai doesn’t sound too bad.”

“You’re serious about this…” Chikage stared at her with an eyebrow raised..

“You gave me the idea!”

“I’m pretty sure the others at the dorms think of us as curry demons.”

“Curry is good though!” Izumi insisted, before adding, “...Say, what if we have shrimp curry tomorrow? The market would be having a seafood sale tomorrow.”

“Sure. By the way, did you buy ginger powder? I think we’re all out.”

“So that’s what I forgot!” 


	2. Chapter 2

“We’re home!” Izumi and Chikage called out in unison as they entered the lounge.

Homare looked up from where he’s reading a book. Not only did his tails take up the space on the couch, but his presence filled the room too. Hisoka was snoozing on one of Homare’s tails, his other three tails curling around him like a blanket. His fangs showed as he smiled at the two. “Ah, welcome home, you two.”

The kitsune’s long hair was in a bun, a rose kanzashi keeping it in place. He was in a loose shirt and sweatpants. While Izumi went to put the groceries away, Chikage walked over to the couch. He stood behind the couch, looking down at Hisoka with a scowl.

“Oi, Sleepyhead.”

Hisoka didn’t move.

“They had a new flavor of marshmallows on sale.”

He makes a grabbing gesture at Chikage, who sighed. But still, he throws a small packet of coconut marshmallows at Hisoka.

“Hisoka-kun, no spoiling your appetite before dinner!” 

Homare’s scolding fell on deaf ears as Hisoka opened the packet.

“Give it up. Sleepyhead has a separate stomach for sweets.”

Homare sighed as Hisoka hummed at the marshmallows. Izumi observed them as she washed the rice at the sink. Chikage grabbed an energy drink from the fridge after that, exiting the lounge. It was good that things were like this now. It was way calmer than what the Mankai dorms used to be before all the rooms were occupied. Izumi did not want to deal with cursed and haunted artifacts, nor rogue youkai picking fights with them again. She especially did not want to subject sanyone to an extermination.

“We’re home!” Tenma appeared from the doorway, schoolbag in hand. He threw his bag to the other seat that wasn’t occupied by Hisoka and dropped down on the couch unceremoniously.

“Welcome home, Tenma-kun. How is your day?” Homare offered.

“I hate school,” he groaned, sinking into the couch. Homare chuckled and asked about Tenma’s recent quiz. Oh right, he had tutored Tenma in history the other day. Izumi doesn’t hide a smile at their interaction. 

This was far better than the Tenma who was constantly afraid of talking to the youkai, to the point that even Yuki made him sleep on the couch since he had just discovered that Yuki was a youkai himself. It didn’t help that the first time Tenma actually met Homare was in the kitchen at 3 AM, where the youkai opted to use his ominous red fox flames to light the way, scaring Tenma who only wanted a glass of water.

That was a year ago. Tenma could now talk to the youkai casually, though he still jumped when they appeared suddenly. Though Izumi could understand that it was a reaction that would probably never go away, since Tenma was still scared of invisible forces. Youkai were at least visible and reasonable, instead of ghosts who were mostly invisible.

Izumi remembered something.

“Tenma...where’s Taichi?”

“He had to take a call, apparently.”

“Oh, I see.”

The door opened and Taichi’s voice filtered in from the foyer. “Come in, come in!”

A pitter-patter of steps reached their ears, and Homare glanced at the doorway.

“Human dwellings have definitely changed…”

“Oh?” Homare’s eyes lit up in recognition of the small creature that walked into the room. They had the body and head of a frog, a Shinto priest’s clothes, and a small pouch across their back. Their moist skin was folded in multiple places and had several warts. They’re about the size of Taichi’s legs up to the knees. Their bulging eyes glance at them one by one.

Izumi blinked. “A youkai?”

“This little one is usually by the shrine, so I was a bit shocked when he was in front of the dorms. He said he wanted to talk to you, Director!” Taichi explained, carrying the youkai onto the table carefully. 

The youkai bowed to Taichi, before turning around and clearing his throat. They opened their pouch and took out a small scroll. The scroll expanded to around book-length as they put it on the table.

“Special delivery for Izumi Tachibana!”

“Huh?”

“I am Ringo of the Veludo Shrine!” they bowed. “I bring good tidings from Kaetsu-sama!”

“Who?”

“The land god,” Homare answered, tails swishing behind him. 

“Homare-dono!” It bowed to Homare, “It is good to see you!”

Homare smiled slightly, a fang peeking out, “Likewise, little shikigami. What brings the land god’s subordinate here?”

Ringo bowed, “I have a message from Kaetsu-sama.”

“What is it—”

They were cut off by a yell that echoed through the dorms. Taichi immediately started running in the direction of the storage room, Izumi following behind closely. Homare sighed but didn’t move. Hisoka didn’t stir either. Tenma jumped from the loud shout. Ringo only looked towards the direction they ran in, tilting their head.

“You are not going to go with them, Homare-dono?”

“It’s a minor demon, I’m pretty sure Izumi and Taichi can handle it.”

Tenma squinted at Homare with eyebrows furrowed together and a frown on his lips.

“It could be another one of those creepy dolls!” Tenma insisted, looking at the kitsune with pleading eyes. Tenma has honestly had it with two creepy dolls that attempted to wreak havoc or possess them. Luckily, Misumi had managed to ward them off. But Tenma was not going around town without a few charms and talismans on him. As a precaution, he says. Yuki would just tell him he’s been overly cautious.

Homare laughed. “Don’t worry about it. However, I advise you to prepare some tea for them. I’m sure they’ll be very  _ parched _ when they come back.”

Matsukawa pressed himself against the storage room door, attempting to keep whatever was in there in the room. He was covered head to toe in dust, and the space around his eyes was clear, yet his glasses were nowhere to be found. Taichi held his golden staff, and it rang as they came to a stop. 

“H-Help me!” Matsukawa shrieked, pushing the door back as something slammed on it. The door cracked.

“What is it?!”

“D-D-Dust monster! I was just cleaning the storage room when it suddenly—” 

Izumi felt her instincts act first and she quickly grabbed Matsukawa’s wrist, forcibly pulling him away from the door. The manager looked confused by her action before he shrieked again as the door broke. Splinters and pieces of the wooden door cracked under the monster’s weight. A thin layer of dust covered everything and everyone once it hit the floor.

_ That’s… one huge dust bunny. _ It would have looked less threatening if it wasn’t as big as the fridge, and didn’t have glowing yellow eyes. It opened his mouth as if to snarl, but it reminded her of a yawning rabbit. The air cracked with killing intent when it snapped its dust mouth. Izumi grabs the poor manager, pulling him away as the dust bunny monster leaped at them. 

Another layer of dust covered them, and from afar, she heard Taichi sneeze from the dust. 

“D-Director, please distract it while I prepare! It’ll only take a while!”

“Got it!”

“Matsukawa, keep running in different directions to confuse it!” Izumi could hear the cogs turning in the manager’s head, but she immediately started running into the courtyard. Though she couldn’t hear it leap after her, the youkai’s presence was more than enough to tell her that it was very near. The fresh air in the courtyard managed to blow off some dust on her.

Izumi ignored the fact that she was wearing house slippers and that Sakyo would probably get made from the mud she would bring in, running into the garden. The damp soil clung to the underside of her slippers, and Izumi almost slipped. The presence of the youkai was farther than before, yet she grabbed the shovel as a precaution. 

When Izumi turned around, the dust youkai was crouched down, getting ready to pounce on her. She tried to step back even further, but her foot knocked the other gardening tools over. The rake and shears were already unsteady with the loss of the shovel.  _ Sorry, Tsumugi. _

“Come at me!”

Her yell got the rabbit in motion, leaping towards her with a dusty mouth opened to swallow her. Thankfully enough, its body wasn’t too solid to cause any major injuries, but still solid enough to be stopped by the shovel’s wooden handle. The impact against the shovel’s handle cast another, thicker layer of dust on Izumi. This time she couldn’t help but sneeze. Her skin itched with the dust.

The jingle of Taichi’s staff was a distant but pleasant sign.

_ “Cleanse!” _

There was a split second of silence after the sharp slap of the paper talisman. Izumi closed her eyes. She heard a soft poof before she was covered in even more dust. It felt like she was covered in snow that irritated her airways so badly she began sneezing.  _ It sucks to have dust allergies. _

Her chest already hurt from the number of sneezes that wracked her body. Taichi bounded over to her, staff ringing. “Director! Are you okay?!”

“I—  _ Achoo! _ ”

Izumi sniffled when the sneezes stopped for a while. Her throat hurt so bad so she could only nod. Taichi fared a little bit better than her, a thinner layer of dust covering him. Looking around the yard, it looked like Winter had come earlier, the snow a little grayer than usual. The dust was thicker around her and it was already up to her ankles. There was a small golden box reflecting light, with one of Taichi’s sealing talismans on it. Izumi put a hand on her nose when she felt her throat itch again.

“D-Director!” Matsukawa yelled, finally catching up to them.

“We should get that dust off you before your allergies—”

“ _ Achoo! Achoo! _ ”

“I’ll go get the medicine!”

“Grab some for me too—  _ Achoo! _ ”


	3. Chapter 3

“What an awful— woah.”

Itaru stopped in his steps as he spotted the small dusty whirlwind in the yard. He was halfway from tugging his tie off. Tsumugi waved at him, one hand holding a fan. The whirlwind followed his fan like a controller, collecting up the dust by the cosmos planters. It moved to the roses, leaving the flowers swaying. Dust still covered the tree branches, some of the other potted plants, and the lawn table. Tsumugi held a black trash bag in his other hand.

“Welcome home, Itaru.”

The salaryman approached the tengu, looking at his fan curiously. Noticing his look, Tsumugi moved it a little closer for him to observe. It looked like a larger red maple leaf with five edges. It had golden tips and a golden handle, a pair of red tassels coming out from the handle. The tips swayed gently as Tsumugi moved the whirlwind.

“Cool fan. Did a dust bomb go off in here or something?”

“There was apparently a dust youkai in the storage room earlier. Director, Taichi, and Matsukawa got so dusted badly that the Director’s allergies began acting up.”

“Oof. F for the Director.”

Itaru watched as Tsumugi directed the whirlwind into the trash bag. It dissipated in a soft poof. He stayed there for a bit longer, watching Tsumugi clean up the yard with the wind. The wind was gentle as it caressed the dust off the plants. Very much like Tsumugi, a tengu with a gentle demeanor.

In an attempt to live among humans, Tsumugi refused to use the skills that came along with being a tengu. It was one of the reasons why Tasuku refused to talk to him for some time, after all. Itaru hasn’t heard the whole story yet, but that was what he heard from the Director’s drunken rambles after the God-za showdown. But after joining Mankai and socializing with other youkai, he didn’t feel as ashamed to walk around the dorms with his wings stretched out. Sakyo was grateful for the gentle wind Tsumugi would produce whenever someone would drop something. Many plates, mugs, and pots were saved, and Taichi has had many close calls with Sakyo’s anger.

“Oh! Tsumugi, Itaru!”

Both of them turned to Kumon, who waved at them. Itaru smiled. “What’s up? Did your quiz go well?”

“Yep! All thanks to Itaru!” Kumon smiled. Itaru gave him a head pat, to which they could basically a wagging puppy tail behind him. 

“No probs. History can be pretty fun sometimes, not gonna lie.”

Tsumugi tied up the trash bag, putting his fan in one of his coat’s inside pockets. “Feel free to ask us for help anytime. By the way, what is it, Kumon?”

“Oh! Director wanted to call everyone for a meeting, apparently.” An uncharacteristic frown crosses his lips. “...But I haven’t seen Misumi since this morning.”

“Shall I go look for him?” Tsumugi offered.

“Yes, please!” Kumon nodded. “I’ve been worried about him, to be honest.”

“What’s wrong?” Itaru asked. Was this the beginning of a questline?

“He’s been more… um...” He scratched at his head, trying to find the correct words. He spoke after a pause. “...not acting like usual? I mean, even more eccentric than usual! His aura feels off too.”

Tsumugi frowned, eyes seeming a bit darker than usual. It made him look like the youkai in the stories, rather than the gentle person Itaru had known him as. “...I’ll see what I can do. Thank you for telling me, Kumon.”

“Is it gonna cause a disaster or something?” Itaru asked, genuinely worried. With the supernatural world closer than before, it’s as if he’s living in a game now. But there were no walkthroughs or save points. Everyone had to be a bit warier of what their actions and words could cause now. The youkai in the dorms had reassured them that they were willing to answer what questions they could. There was no harm in asking, especially if it was going to be useful in the long run.

Tsumugi nodded. “Since the dorms are like Misumi’s shrine, it doesn't hurt to be cautious if he acts differently than usual. It’s better to solve the problem before it could cause any trouble.”

"I see."

“Thank you, Tsumugi! I’ll throw that out for you!” 

“Thank you.”

Izumi clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. She didn’t look like she had allergies, though there was a steaming tumbler on the table in front of her. “Is everyone here?”

Sakuya and Misumi were helping Omi bring some of the baked scones to everyone else. Tenma fiddled with a new script while discussing something with Tasuku and Tsumugi. Azuma was telling Muku and Kazunari about the tea leaves he had bought home from his travels, both of them listening intently. Kumon and Misumi were presenting each other new triangles they had picked up. Yuki and Azami were going over a magazine together, nodding at the experimental designs of makeup and clothes. Banri, Itaru, and Citron were in the process of pocketing their phones. Itaru doing so more reluctantly than the two. Chikage and Guy were talking about spices. Other than Masumi trying to elbow a sleepy Tsuzuru off him, Homare was also passing Hisoka marshmallows to keep him awake. Mankai meetings were as normal as they could be. Tsumugi answered for everyone. "Yes."

Izumi waited for a few more minutes for them to settle down before speaking again. "We got a formal request from the local land god to perform at the youkai world."

Sakuya dropped his mug from shock, eyes widening. Tsumugi let out a small gust of wind to save the mug. He gave the tengu a sheepish smile from across the room when he held the mug again. "Kaetsu-sama did?!"

"How unexpected." Homare hummed, tails swinging from side to side at a slow but steady pace as if he was thinking. Most of them were surprised when he didn't begin waxing poems, and even Hisoka stirred. Homare didn’t see it or decided to ignore his look. Hisoka once again makes himself comfortable on the kitsune’s lap after a while.

Taichi looked unaffected by the glare Azami sent him when he jumped from surprise, almost knocking him off the couch. "Really?!"

The others also let out their own expressions of surprise, fear (Tenma), excitement (Banri and Itaru). Even those who seemed initially disinterested perked up at her announcement. Though they were surrounded and lived with the supernatural, going to the supernatural realm was a different story.

Sakyo spoke up from where he was leaning on the wall, arms crossed. He pinned Izumi with a stare. "Is there any occasion?

"It’s Kaetsu-sama’s festival!" Ringo piped in and only then did some of the actors notice them. They sat on top of the wooden cabinet behind Izumi, two rolls of kappamaki sushi on a plate in front of them.

"GYAAAAAAH!" Tenma let out an ear-splitting shriek, holding onto Yuki who was beside him. He was paler than usual and his hands trembled a bit.

Yuki tried to shove Tenma off him, scowling irritably. Tenma didn't budge from holding the tsukomogami close to him, but he had stopped screaming when Yuki threatened to kick him out of the room later. Yuki brushed off himself, frowning with distaste. Tenma had resolved to stare anywhere but at the shikigami.

Now fully awake, Tsuzuru eyed Ringo. His eyes twinkled with a childish curiosity that could only come out of seeing the supernatural. Though he had written scripts knowing that some of the troupe members were youkai, he hasn’t written a play focused on youkai yet. "...Are you an actual shikigami?!"

Ringo nodded. “Yes!”

When Tsuzuru stayed silent, contemplating what to ask them, Ringo turned to Omi. They held the half-eaten roll with their little webbed hands. Their eyes shone as they addressed the oni, “Fushimi-dono, your sushi is really good!”

“I’m glad you think so.” Omi smiled. “I tried to make it as mild and edible for youkai as much as I could.”

Ringo continued eating the roll with glee. Between bites, they muttered, “I did not expect human food to be so tasty… It is amazing, Fushimi-dono!”

Sakuya raised his hand, a shining smile on his face. “Director, I want to volunteer! It’s been a while since I went back home.”

Izumi picked up her clipboard, writing on it. She smiled at Sakuya, “Sure.”

Itaru also raised his hand. “Me, Director. I can’t let this chance pass.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Going into another world.” Itaru started, pitching his voice down as a narrator would. “Uncovering the mysteries of the mortal realm. Who would not jump at this chance? One cannot be satisfied by knowing what they are only shown. Are the things we know real? The world has much more mysteries than what the human senses can perceive. The search for knowledge is never done. The unexamined life is worth living.”

He cleared his throat, going back to his normal voice. “So, I’d like to explore the other world more. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Amazing, Itaru!” Citron applauded. “You’ve memorized Socrates’ speech from his boss battle in  _ The Alchemist’s Orb _ !!”

Tsuzuru scratched at his chin, an exasperated expression on his face. “I’m going to assume that’s from a game. I only know the last sentence.”

“Gotcha.”

“Nerd,” Yuki muttered, rolling his eyes. Chikage echoed the same sentiment, making Itaru pout.

Izumi nodded, writing down Itaru’s name. “Anybody else?” 

While the others discussed among themselves, Tsuzuru stood up to approach Ringo. The shikigami was walking towards the kitchen, a clean plate in their hands. “Hey, shikigami-sama?”

“What is it?”

“Do youkai have any particular preference for plays?” Tsuzuru took the plate that was offered to him, putting it in the sink and splashing it with running water. He turned back to the shikigami, who stared at him unblinkingly.

Ringo crossed his arms, tapping their foot. “Hm… Kaetsu-sama didn’t tell me anything.”

Tsuzuru nodded to himself. “I see.”

But before Tsuzuru could leave the kitchen, Ringo spoke again. “You have youkai here, right? Ezume’s son is also more of a youkai than a human too. I am sure that you can ask him.”

“Sakuya, you mean?”

“Yes. He is a child loved by the youkai, after all.” Ringo nodded. “I am sure you will do well, Minagi-sensei. Kaetsu-sama does acknowledge your skills.”

Tsuzuru’s eyes widened.

“Please do tell Tachibana-dono and Fushimi-dono that I cannot stay any longer because I am needed at the shrine. The tea and food were delicious, though. Thank you for your hospitality and may the gods bless you and the company.” Before Tsuzuru could reply, Ringo had already leaped on the windowsill. He bowed to the dumbfounded writer before leaping out the window.

“...what did he mean?” Tsuzuru knew that he still had a long way to go as a playwright, but to have the god’s blessing was a huge shock in itself. It couldn’t be—

“...zuroon! Tsuzuroon!”

Tsuzuru snapped back to attention at Kazunari’s booming voice. The rest of the troupe stared at him, and his cheeks warmed up from embarrassment. He quickly shut off the running tap when he felt Sakyo’s prickly glare.

“W-What is it?”

“We’ve decided on the group already. We got Sakuya, Itaru, Tenma, Misumi, Omi and Homare. Can you think of a plot?”

Tsuzuru hummed. A strange group, but it could be an interesting challenge to write for them, “I can.”

“Thank you, Tsuzuru.”

“No problem, Director.”

“Oh… by the way, where did Ringo-san go?” Kumon asked, looking around the room. Tsuzuru gestured to the open window behind him. 

“They already left. Says they’re needed at the shrine.”

“Oh, alright then. Are there any more questions?”

“I have one.” Tsuzuru raised his hand. “Would Tenma be able to handle going into the youkai world?”

Tenma turned towards the playwright with a confident smirk. “Of course, I can! They do say you’re never going to get over your fears if you don’t face them.”

“Right,” Yuki drew out. “Just make sure you don’t end up running in the middle of the play.”

“Huh? What do you think of me?! A kid?!”

“Scaredy cat.”

Before their bickering could grow anymore, Izumi stepped in. She nodded in approval “Well, if Tenma wants to get over his fear, then I don’t mind.”

“Don’t worry, Tenma! The youkai are pretty nice when you aren’t scared of them anymore!” Sakuya assured gently from the other side of the room, smiling. “You can do it!”

Tenma’s ears reddened at that. “If you say so, then.”

Izumi waited for another question, glancing at the clock when the room settled into comfortable chatter. “Alright then! If there are no other questions, then the meeting is dismissed.”


	4. Chapter 4

Tsuzuru tapped at the table, staring at the laptop screen with a frown. The empty word document seems to mock him, and he shook the trackpad vigorously when the screen went black. No words miraculously appeared when the screen lit up. Omi’s humming from behind the kitchen counter made the atmosphere less tense. The coffee maker clicked, and Omi served up two mugs, putting one spoonful of sugar in one. He slid a plate of scones and the mug of sugared coffee beside Tsuzuru, nudging him when he doesn’t respond. 

Omi nudged him a tad bit rougher this time. Tsuzuru jumped then yelped when he hit his knee on the table. 

Omi sat across him with a sheepish smile, with his own mug of coffee. “Sorry about that. You seem bothered, Tsuzuru.”

“Fushimi-san! Oh, thank you for the food.”

“Is it about the play?”

“Ah yes…” Tsuzuru sipped the coffee. “What would youkai like to see?”

“I wonder… I haven’t come back to the other world in a while.”

“Was it hard adapting to human customs?” Tsuzuru typed a few words furiously, before backspacing with a frown. That didn’t seem like a good start. The beginning of a story always needed to catch the audience’s attention. But it seemed too weak, or maybe it was just Tsuzuru’s doubt that was clouding his mind.

“Not really. I’ve been hanging out with humans for a long time, even before I began living with them.”

“Really?” Tsuzuru had pushed his laptop away to make space for the snack. It was really surprising to know that Omi was a youkai, since he was so kind and gentle. Even with the horn on his head, he just didn’t seem like a typical youkai. 

Omi nodded.“There was even a time I was considered an outcast for preferring human companionship than ravaging villages.”

“Ravaging villages?” 

Luckily, Tsuzuru wasn’t drinking, though he paused from eating, looking at Omi with wide eyes. Omi laughed sheepishly. “It’s nothing like that. The only time we would attack a human village first was when they disrespected the customs that were agreed upon. We’d just chase off humans who got too close to us.”

“How did you guys come to agree on those customs?” 

Omi scratched at his chin, “I’m not sure myself. It’s been around for a long time—before I even gained consciousness.”

“Huh.”

“Oni aren’t too keen on keeping historical records… If you want to learn more, I think Tsumugi is in the yard. I know that Azuma has records, but he’s overseas now.”

“It’s still surprising how Azuma can travel overseas, being a yaksha and all. How does he do it anyway?”

Omi chuckled, standing up. He went over to the oven, checking the next batch of scones. “That’s something we can’t say. Will you help with dinner today, Tsuzuru?”

“No, since I’m keeping my schedule open for when inspiration strikes,” Tsuzuru took a huge gulp of coffee, glaring at the screen. A blank word document stared back at him. “But nothing’s coming to mind.”

“How about a change of pace?” Omi suggested, putting on a baking mitten on one hand. The oven rings as Omi goes over to pull the baked snacks out of the oven. “Sakuya’s guardians delivered the kyudo set that he uses. He mentioned that he’ll be practicing with it today. Why don’t you take a look at it?”

“...Kyudo, huh?”

Tsuzuru typed a few sentences about what knew about kyudo, but they still left him unsatisfied. He knew that he’s close to getting the idea already, but it was still an arm’s length away. Closing the file for the script, he went ahead and began proofreading essays he had to pass this week. Omi hummed as he began putting the finishing touches on the snacks. After a few minutes, Tsuzuru stood up to put his mug in the dishes, stopping Omi who was about to leave the kitchen with four scones on a tray, along with a mug of milk coffee. Two of the scones were basically overflowing with whipped cream and jam.

“Let me give this to them.”

“Alright then.”

Tsuzuru heard a loud thunk when he entered the courtyard. The arrow is lodged at the very edge of the target, the fletch of the practice arrow still quivering a bit. Juza stared at the target with wide eyes, clutching the bow that towered over him. Sakuya ran over to the target, cheering. He was wearing his usual white kimono, black hakama, and custom yukage when he would practice kyudo. “You hit the target! That was really good for the first time, Juza!”

“Really?”

“Your form’s a bit off, but it’s decent,” Tsumugi agreed. He was dressed in casual clothes, but without his usual brown coat. His black wings are visible yet tucked into themselves, seeming smaller than usual. “Others would normally have a hard time hitting the target itself, but you hit it.”

“I was just copyin’ Sakuya… I didn’t expect to hit it,” Juza mumbled, his cheeks reddening from praise. 

Tsuzuru smiled to himself. Juza always had a knack for imitating others and making it his own. It was definitely one of his strengths as an actor.

Sakuya grinned. “You’re so cool, Juza! Ah, but you didn’t have to copy me! The posture differs a bit depending on height and bow size.”

“It does?”

Juza handed the bow to Sakuya, who then went into an aiming position. Juza, eager as he always was, listened to his explanation with occasional nods. “Since you’re taller than me, you’d need a larger bow and arrow. Your back was too straight but your arm was…”

With how quickly Sakuya adapted to the modern world, no one would have thought that he’s been living with youkai for the past years. Tsuzuru was honestly proud to see that he’s improved so much from the first time that he was still figuring out the TV.  _ Guess he’s still as much as a human as we are… _

“Oh, Tsuzuru!” Tsumugi waved at him. “Taking a break?”

“I’m stumped. Omi said that a change of pace would be good.” He walked over to the outdoor table, placing the tray down. Tsumugi smiled at the sight of the food, and sat down across Tsuzuru.

“I understand why you’d be stumped.” Tsumugi admitted. “You aren’t sure what storyline would be okay with youkai, yes?”

“Yeah... I don’t want to bore them, offend them, or make them even more confused.” 

“I see…”

Tsuzuru thinks back to a year ago. It had taken patience to teach Sakuya about modernity, since he hadn’t lived in the modern world for a long time. He was constantly confused about “normal” things, and Tsuzuru could understand it. Some things were familiar to him, but most of the new technology and customs confused him.

Tsuzuru tried to think up a plot. Like Ringo said, Sakuya had thinking that was more alike to youkai, but that didn’t mean he could completely grasp their way of thinking. Where he could understand their way of thinking, some of it still didn’t make sense. As the years of bloodshed, the youkai have seen or even participated in. There was still the gap between the mortals and immortals. Worldviews of the youkai were different from human worldviews. But it was understandable since Tsuzuru was pretty sure one’s worldviews would change if one could live longer than an average human.  _ Like Reo from Nocturnality. _

“Tastes good...” 

Somewhere in his musing, Juza and Sakuya had sat down with them. Juza had already scarfed down one of the scones and was now munching on his last one leisurely. Sakuya was eating at a moderate pace, his bow leaning on his chair. It towered over all of them easily. Tsumugi, however, hasn’t touched his food and was silently sipping his coffee.

“Sakuya?”

“Yes?” He looked up from his food, blinking curiously.

“Were you raised by one youkai?” Tsuzuru was sure that Omi had said guardian _ s _ , but it didn’t hurt to ask, right?

Sakuya hummed. “At first, yeah. But other youkai began visiting, too. I think it’s because Ezume-san’s a solitary youkai, so they didn’t have any experience with humans. Chiharu-san and Kono-san are really cool, though!”

“Kono?” Tsumugi piped in, recognition in his eyes. “How surprising… he’s never been known to cooperate with others easily.”

“Really? But he’s so nice!”

Tsumugi sipped at his mug, a smile on his lips. “...I suppose I should catch up on local gossip soon.”

“They’re youkai, too?” Juza asked.

“Yep, a tengu and a tanuki! I’m friends with more youkai, but they were the first ones to visit when I got to stay with Ezume-san. They even help me with practicing lines if I bring home a script!”

“Wow…”

“They do say raising a child takes a village.” Tsumugi agreed with a nod. “It is no easy task, but they succeeded.”

_ Thunk! _

Like an arrow hitting its target, an idea struck Tsuzuru’s mind.  _ Helped by the youkai. Kyudo. Familiars. Wind. _

Before Tsuzuru could stand up, already itching to write the script, they heard Izumi’s voice. “There you guys are!”

Izumi descended from the stairs, several of her stage notebooks in her arms. Tsuzuru and Juza smiled at her and Sakuya greeted her with an energetic wave. Tsumugi began to dig through his pockets. “I’ve been wanting to give you something, Director.”

“Huh?”

Tsumugi holds out a blue omamori charm in his palm.  _ Protection _ was embroidered in gold thread across the charm, and if Tsuzuru squinted, there was a faint blue aura coming off it. It didn’t look too different from the ones they sold at the shrine, but he knew better.

“I can’t join you guys in the play due to some prior responsibilities, so this charm should ward off rogue youkai.”

“But we have Homare, Omi, and Misumi with us.” Despite the hesitance in her voice, Izumi still took the charm.

Tsumugi smiled. “It’s just a second layer of protection. There’s no guarantee that there wouldn't be any trouble during the festival. I’ve already given Itaru and Tenma their charms.”

“Thank you, Tsumugi. Oh, but won’t Sakuya need one too?”

“No need. He has the youkai’s blessings already.”

“There’s a difference between youkai blessings and gods’ blessings?” Tsuzuru piped in. He remembered Ringo’s words. It was just acknowledgment, right? Not a blessing.

“Not really. It’s just the source of the blessings that differ. What is more attractive to youkai is a human’s soul. This is why I’m worried about the Director. She has a beautiful soul, after all.” 

Izumi awkwardly coughed into her hand after a few seconds, cheeks red. Tsumugi’s eyes widened when his words sunk in, cheeks reddening too. “S-Sorry, Director. Um… what was it?”

“Ah…” Izumi lifted her arms to emphasize the notebooks. Some of them looked a bit ragged, but still well-cared for. “I wanted to run over some of the blocking and lighting of the Winter plays with you, if you’re free now.”

“Of course.”

“We’ll be cleaning up the archery set, then I’ll join Tenma at the supermarket,” Sakuya said.

Izumi blinked. “Oh, right. You two are on grocery duty today. Please make sure he doesn’t get lost again, Sakuya.”

“I will!”

Tsumugi turned to Tsuzuru. “Have you gotten an idea yet?”

“Yes.” Tsuzuru grinned. “Can you go over the script when I’m done, Tsumugi?”

“Sure.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Hey, Sakuya. Were you ever scared of youkai?”

Sakuya looked at Tenma with a curious look, blinking slowly. He then shook his head with a smile. Tenma tightened his grip on the shopping cart as Sakuya placed several canned goods in it. “I’m not. They’ve been with me even before my parents passed, so they’re friends to me.”

Tenma gaped. “You’ve been able to see them even back then?”

“Yeah.” Tenma followed Sakuya, who was looking at the shopping list on his phone. They rounded into the cleaning supplies section. Tenma trailed after him, one hand fixing his sunglasses. He couldn’t get Sakuya rounded up in whatever stampede he’d cause if he was discovered.

Sakuya paused from grabbing a discounted bottle of fabric softener. He seemed to be pondering something, before nodding to himself. “Oh, now that I think about it… I think my parents were able to see them too. They were able to see and talk with the nekotama that liked playing with me.”

“That’s kinda creepy…” Tenma muttered, visibly offset by his nonchalant disposition. How could he not find the youkai creepy?! It was already creepy enough to see eyes peeking at you from cracks at night, but the fact that they could eat you anytime was what scared Tenma the most.

“Is it?” Sakuya chuckled, picking two cans of air freshener off the shelf. “I guess to normal people it would be scary, especially if only myths were going to be believed. But once you go beyond that stage of fear, they aren’t like what you expect.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take Homare, for example. Kitsune are usually known as fearsome, right?”

Tenma shuddered. “He was pretty scary back then.”

“But once he had agreed to be Izumi’s familiar, he seemed a lot nicer. He doesn’t even seem like a youkai when joins us for outings.” Sakuya hummed. “Just think of them as friends and they’ll reciprocate.”

“It’s… just like that?”

“Yep! But some of their way of making friends is pranking humans though, like tanuki and some kitsune do. Don’t worry, their pranks aren’t too malicious.”

“Yeah, right.” Tenma frowned. “Stealing all your stuff, letting you get lost in the forest, and always being there when you try to take a nap isn’t malicious. Still, it’s very creepy… I couldn’t even sleep a wink when we were filming on Sado Island.”

“Oh! Sado Island, no wonder. Chiharu-san says tanuki there are a bit different...”

“No, no, no,  _ no _ .” Tenma shook his head. “Even Igawa and Director Kamishiro were getting pranked by the tanukis endlessly. The last straw was when the camera disappeared on set. Igawa refuses all the filmings at Sado now.”

“Wait…” Sakuya paused in his step, turning around to face Tenma. There was a pensive expression on his face. “Can you give me your hand?”

Tenma felt his ears heat up. “W-What for?”

“I want to see something.” Despite Sakuya asking, Tenma couldn’t shrug off the suspicion. Was he gonna cast a spell on him or something? Sakuya smiled reassuringly at him. “Don’t worry, this would just tickle.”

A bit reluctantly, Tenma gave his hand to Sakuya. Sakuya clasped his hand with both of his hands, closing his eyes. His eyebrows are knit together in focus, and Tenma raised an eyebrow. He doesn’t feel any different, but after a while, he felt something in him stir. Tenma found it hard to describe it but it felt pleasant.  _ It’s like the feeling of refreshment after a good cry or like a spring breeze. _

When Sakuya opened his eyes once again, there was a look of recognition and his mouth was agape. He met Tenma’s eyes, and Tenma was getting unnerved by the shock on his face. It was like he solved the mystery of the world. “What is it?”

“…You have the same soul quality as the Director.”

“Huh?”

Sakuya let go of his hand, muttering. “It’s… how do you explain this… Oh! It’s kinda like your soul smells nice to youkai, which is like tasty food to them. That’s the same reason youkai like the Director too!”

“So…” It clicked in Tenma’s mind. “They’re attracted to me?!”

“Yep! That’s why they’re always around you, even if you get scared of them! Though, I’m not sure if it’s just your soul or if they just find you fun to mess with...”

Tenma scratched at his chin. That made a lot of sense when he thought about it. No matter how many times they moved houses, there always seemed to be disembodied voices, multiple eyes, and sentient shadows living with them too. His parents (if they were around) would always ask the house staff to set out some extra food for their visitors, but it was already a tradition at the Sumeragi household way before. Even if Tenma does feel unnerved, he wasn’t used to feeling completely alone and would prefer some sort of company. Was he used to this deep down?  _ They’re like friends… huh. _

“Tenma, look!” Sakuya showed him a box of triangle macarons. Tenma blinked, then squinted at them. There were two packs of them, one presented as watermelons and the other one an assortment. He remembers Sakyo nagging him about expensive items, so he scans the price sticker. They exceeded the money Sakuya had bought and Sakyo would probably nag them again if they bought it.

“Should we get them for Misumi?”

“Yeah. He’s been feeling off… but I don’t know how to approach it.” Aside from Misumi not presenting him triangles lately, he’s also been quiet. He wasn’t acting any different during rehearsals or street acts, but Tenma knows better.

“Yeah sure. Let’s get both.”

Sakuya blinked. “Both? But they’re both pretty expensive.”

“I’ll cover it. We can meet up in front.”

“Sure! See you, Tenma!”

_ Looks like rehearsal’s going well…  _ Izumi scribbled some notes on her clipboard. Nothing seems amiss, though she spotted Misumi to be out of it. She had to nudge him out from staring into nothingness and call his attention multiple times. They were still waiting for Yuki and Azami to finalize the costumes, but they had already nailed down everything as much as they could.

_ “You’ll do well at the competition,”  _ Itaru reassured, patting Sakuya’s shoulder. Itaru had the role of Yamamoto, the kyudo instructor. Sakuya played the part of the lead, Hokuto, who had just returned to kyudo after a year-long break. 

_ “Just believe in yourself, okay? Sensei and the rest of the team believe in you.” _

_ “I’ll win first place for the dojo!” _

_ “Sounds like you haven’t left at all.”  _ Yamamoto laughed, moving towards the stage right. _ “Make sure you don’t leave too late, okay? Then give the keys to the guard.” _

_ “I will!” _

Hokuto adjusted and practiced his stances, before Homare—or Akira, in this case—appeared in wisps of blue fox flames. His voice dripped with playfulness.  _ “Do I have to make you leave? _

_ “But, do you want me to?” _

_ “You’re a very cheeky brat. Do you not find it suffocating to practice in this cramped place?” _

_ “Huh? But, this is the only place in this town where there’s a place big enough for the range.” _

The kitsune scoffed. “ _ Have you not thought of going into the forest? It’s more spacious than whatever you peasants consider as large.” _

_ “Good advice… coming from you. _ ” The last part came out in a mutter. Akira turned to the human with a raised eyebrow. 

_ “Did you say anything?” _

_ “Nothing, nothing. So, do I just go out into the forest?” _

_ “Yes, but remember the way back. You might forever find yourself endlessly wandering in a lightless forest.” _

“That’s it for today. Good work everyone!”

“Thank you, Director!”

“Whew… Time to catch up on rankings, don’t wanna be kicked out of tier one.” Itaru grinned, plucking off his phone from the charger. He began tapping away at his games, ignoring everyone else in the room. Homare dabbed at the sweat at the bottom of his neck, lifting his long hair afterward to cool himself down. Despite the exhaustion, he smiled. 

“That was a good practice session. It is an interesting experience to work with the excitable ones.”

“The Winter Troupe’s subtleness with their acting is amazing!” Sakuya praised, eyes glimmering with childish wonder. “It’s really cool how you can portray the mysteriousness and underlying intention of Akira without being too obvious about it, Homare!”

“It’s pretty hard to express subdued emotion.” Tenma nodded. “How do you do it?”

After tying up his long hair into a messy bun, Homare began explaining the training menu Tsumugi and Tasuku had made for them to express more toned down emotion without becoming monotone. 

Misumi jumped from where he was quietly fiddling with a Mr. Triangle plushie when Omi lightly tapped his shoulder. 

“Would you like to join us and the Director for some tea, Misumi?”

“Okay… can we have the triangle cookies?”

“Of course.”

“Misumi, it’s teatime.”

Homare’s slightly smiling face appeared at the edge of the rooftop, ears flicking. Misumi smiled weakly, as Homare pushed himself onto the roof. He was already in one of his kimono, sitting down next to the god. The roof had a nice warmth from it, cooled down by the night air.

They didn’t talk. Homare didn’t push it, letting him collect his thoughts. He played with a few wisps of foxfire as he waited.

Misumi knew everyone was worried, though he wasn’t sure how to put it into words. He noted that Homare’s tails sway languidly, and he figured he could trust the kitsune. He was the most knowledgeable about the other world in the dorms, after all. If Izumi says that he’s changed, then maybe he’s really changed. The Director was a good judge of character. He doesn’t also sense any judgment from him. He could tell him.

“...I’m scared putting everyone else down when we go there.”

“You’re from that world, are you not? The gods that don’t return have been either vanquished or decided to live with humans and I do not think you fall in the first category.”

“I don’t have a shrine…” Misumi swallowed the lump in his throat. Gods always have shrines, right? But despite the fact that he’s never been in a proper shrine, there was still one thing that made his heart heavy.

“And I… don’t remember my real name.”

“How peculiar…” Homare eyed him with interest, red eyes catching the low light of the night. “You don’t remember?”

“...”

He doesn’t remember much before his vessel and he, by extension, was stolen by Kusumi Ikaruga. He doesn’t even remember what his previous vessel was. The new shrine Kusumi had put in him was small and cold, and it was more of a lantern than an actual shrine. He occasionally got small offerings, but none of them lasted very long. He couldn’t do much to aid Kusumi in his scriptwriting. He wasn’t a major god; he couldn’t make huge miracles. There were things that not even the gods’ powers could touch.

He really tried to make miracles to help Kusumi, but he could only manage small miracles. He doesn’t get offerings anymore, and he feels himself waning inside of the small shrine. Gods faded when no one believed in them, after all.

Kusumi hasn’t been visiting, though another unknown man has been visiting. He introduced himself as Kusumi’s father when he prayed at the shrine.

His prayer was straightforward, but he had felt so warm at hearing a genuine prayer. He left five five yen coins before going inside the manor.

_ “I am Hakkaku Ikaruga. Please forgive my son, kami-sama. He has not gotten my skill for scriptwriting, and he has gone to drastic measures. I cannot ask you more than what he has already, but I only wish for your guidance for my grandson. I don’t have long in this world anymore, so I can’t watch over Madoka. Please hear my prayer and… thank you so much.” _

Hakkaku doesn’t visit after that. But his prayers have been definitely heard.

Madoka is a quiet boy. He’s able to see him, and he definitely enjoys talking to a living person rather than an animal or other spirits. Madoka likes telling stories from his books, and he indulges the small child in his wide imagination. He doesn’t know if Madoka knows that he’s a god, but he doesn’t feel lonely anymore.

It was a silent summer evening when Madoka asked him, “Do you have a name?” 

“...Name?”

“Father says I should call you kami-sama, but it’s too formal for someone as fun as you!”

A name? He knows he used to have one, but he doesn’t remember his name. He shakes his head.

Madoka frowns as he traces the crown on the storybook he has. It was shiny and pointy, with glittering gemstones of all colors. He traces a three-sided shape that held an emerald before he turned to him with a grin and nod.

“How about I call you Misumi? It’s another way “triangle” can be read since your eyes look like triangles!”

“Triangle…?” It was a strange name for sure, but he liked Madoka well enough to accept it.

“I like it. Misumi. Misumi, Misumi, Miiiii-suuuuu-miiiii.” 

Madoka laughs as Misumi draws the vowels out. Strange as the name’s origin was, Misumi loved it. It was far better than being nameless. He’s Misumi now.

Homare stared at the wide sky above them, tails resting eerily on the tiles. Was Homare going to judge him for deciding to take on a name that was not his? A name was the most important thing to a supernatural being, but to take a name that was not his was usually disgraceful. He knows the kitsune has grown kinder since he joined Mankai, but there was still that worry present. Homare turns to look at him with unusually kind eyes and his tails flicking around as usual. “Do not worry. You are and still will be Misumi, no matter what happens.”

“We, spirits, take on whatever humans decide to name us. If they call you Misumi, then you shall be Misumi. We co-exist with humans, thus we cannot disregard them. Especially gods, since they look after the people that believe in them. It does not matter whether you remember your real name or not, it’s more important you have a name to call your own.”

“...Is it really?”

“Indeed. Do not also fret over having a shrine.”

“This is your shrine as much as it is their home too. I have had an old friend tell me that gods thrive not in empty shrines, but they thrive with the belief of their people. We would not be alive if not even one person believes in us, yes?”

Making a triangle with his fingers, Misumi looks at the rising moon. Triangles, friends, and acting. Those were the things that made him Misumi. He doesn’t feel too bothered about not knowing what he was a god of. It was enough that they believed in him. He’d do everything he can to protect them against things they couldn’t defend against.

He didn’t need a shrine to be happy or complete. He was happy to be Misumi of the Mankai Company. The God of the Mankai Shrine, Taichi had called him once. It felt nice. Misumi liked it. The feelings that bloomed from that title were like the feelings from when Madoka had given him his name.

_ I’ll take care of this name… I’m Misumi. _

“Shall we go for tea, Misumi?” 

“Yeah! I wanna eat the triangle cookies Tenma and Sakuya bought!”

“Very well.”


	6. Chapter 6

No one bat an eyelash at their colorful costumes. The seven of them had blended into the festival, though Izumi preferred to wear casual attire for mobility. Despite the chilly night air, it still didn’t feel like autumn had completely settled in yet. Sakuya and Tenma’s hakamas were the usual white kimono and black hakama for kyudo. Although, Yuki had put some shining embroidery on the kimono sleeves and hakama legs to make them shine on stage. Sakuya’s bow was slung over his shoulder, along with a few arrows in the pack.

Itaru was wearing a similar set of clothing, though his sleeves were longer. Omi wore a deep brown yukata with a sword hanging at his side. His horn and sword was concealed by a charm as they made their way through the festival crowds. Misumi wore a deep green haori over his pale lemon kimono. The kimono had golden adornment on the sleeves and bottom part. But the haori was more beautifully decorated, but not distastefully. Homare’s kimono was in a deep red color, with gold and black accents at the edges. A black haori rested on his shoulders, clinging onto his kimono with some sort of tailor magic from Yuki. One of his usual fox masks rested on his head and tied at the back. He doesn’t bother hiding the two red marks under his eyes, though the fox ears and tails were currently concealed.

They all had stage makeup on, though it was more prominent on the youkai.

The stage they were going to perform on was outdoors, thus they couldn’t get any of their usual equipment. After meeting with the leaders, backstage crew, and Homare, they have decided to bring a portable spotlight along with Homare’s flames. After joining the company, Homare experimented with his fox flames for stage effects. Sakyo had been ecstatic at the thought of reducing budget on stage effects while making the effects unique from other theater companies. But of course, they still passed it off as “stage effects” to not attract unwanted visitors. One attempted exorcism was enough.

Izumi carried a pocket spotlight in her purse, one that Misumi had made with a miracle. It was charged with spiritual energy, and the stronger the light was, the more input it needed. Luckily, Izumi had gotten enough control over her spirit output, enough to produce light but not too much to make her drained. Spirit exhaustion was hard to recover from, after all.

Yuki had grumbled about Izumi not getting ready for the occasion, though he had let it go after the explanation of the stage. You couldn’t climb a tree with a kimono, and Izumi didn’t want to dirty Yuki’s creation. For fear of the tsukumogami nagging her and ruining the work of art.

They arrived behind the shrine without any problem. It felt a bit strange to Izumi, if she was going,to be honest. This particular group was calmer than the rest. Aside from Misumi getting occasionally distracted by triangles and Itaru pausing every now and then to properly tap something on his phone, it wasn’t too chaotic. Even peaceful.

Homare’s ears flicked to scan the area and Omi studied the area around them as well. They all waited for them to finish. After a while, Homare turned to them, the low light making his eyes seem much more sinister than before. “This is the border of the human world and supernatural world.  _ Do not let go. _ I cannot guarantee your safety shall you get lost.”

After hearing the affirmation from the group, Homare let several of his fox flames surround them like will-o’-wisps, lighting their way in the dark forest. He took hold of Izumi’s hand, and she held Sakuya’s hand next. Sakuya, Tenma, Itaru, Misumi, then Omi. Guard the humans.

Even if it was already nighttime, the surroundings still seemed to get even darker as they walked into the forest. The noises and lights of the festival were practically non-existent, and Izumi had to strain her ears to hear anything else but the silence of the forest. It was absolutely chilling how she couldn’t hear the rustle of leaves nor their own footsteps as they crossed the border. She could feel air enter and leave her lungs, yet she couldn’t hear herself breathe.

It almost feels endless, and Izumi began to suspect they were walking in circles. Even time felt unreal in this place.

There’s a momentary pop of colors, and the festive sounds fading in.

The supernatural world was as festive as the world they had temporarily left—possibly even more festive! 

Izumi couldn’t even take her first breath in this world when claws suddenly grabbed her by the waist. They were sharp but didn’t draw blood. They held her almost delicately, in contrast with the wind that furiously whipped around her.

Homare’s and Sakuya’s hands feel too far, too quickly.

She can’t even breathe in quickly enough to let out a scream.

It happened too quickly for anyone to see it. One second ago, Itaru was holding Tenma’s clammy hand while Misumi lightly swung their hands together. The next second, Itaru was breathless when Tenma’s head hit his chin, knocking his head upwards. Misumi held back Itaru from falling by holding him with his arms. There was a huge gust of wind that knocked everyone backward, and he didn't even register the supersonic sound until a few seconds passed.

Everyone cried out in alarm as  _ whatever that was _ knocked them all down to the ground. Tenma was heavier than expected, and it’s uncomfortable when Tenma fell on Itaru. They were like dominos, toppled over by a powerful gust of wind. Only Misumi and Omi were left standing from what he could guess, with this awkward half-standing position with Tenma toppled on him.

Omi’s voice came out sounding too similar to a growl.  _ “Where’s the Director?” _

“...What?”

Itaru didn’t recognize the voice, and it took him a while to recognize it was  _ Homare _ .

He did not sound like the noisy poet Itaru had known him as. There was something more visceral and raw in his aura. None of the airheadedness he showed at the dorms.

From above Tenma’s bright, messy hair, Itaru saw that Homare’s tails were eerily still. Despite the fact that he was unmoving, the air around him  _ crackled _ with raw energy. Itaru felt a shudder run up his spine, but he instead tapped at Tenma’s shoulder comfortingly. The poor boy shook like a leaf, and Itaru didn't blame him. The killing intent was all too visible and choking.

“Homare.” Misumi’s soft yet commanding voice cut through the tense aura. “You’re scaring them.”

Like a switch, the killing intent was dialed down a bit, though Itaru was still uncomfortable with the heavy air. Misumi steadied Tenma first before helping Itaru up. He gently dusted off both of them, leaving them with a reassuring smile. Tenma wouldn’t look up. Sakuya completely looked unscatched, though he looked very confused.

“Do you know the youkai that took the Director, Omi?” Misumi asked calmly.

The oni grimly shook his head. “I don’t recognize them.”

“Homare?” Misumi called out.

“I know that trace. _ It’s the damn land god’s. _ ” He hissed, turning around. The two distinct red marks under his eyes had spread and became bigger, reminding Itaru of a tiger’s stripes that covered his cheeks. His pupils were more constricted than usual, and along with pointed teeth that were more similar to a fox’s rather than a human.

“Homare,” Misumi called out again, voice louder and more leveled.

_ “What.” _

“The Director has Tsumugi’s charm, right?”

Oh yeah, Itaru’s charm was in the folds of his costume. Despite the choking atmosphere, Misumi smiled gently. “I know the Director will be safe.”

“How are you so sure?” Homare’s tone was as sharp as ever, eyes narrowed.

“I just know it.”

The kitsune glared at him with feral eyes, before scoffing. He turned around and stomped in the direction of the youkai festival. The rest of the group stood there in silence as Homare stormed off. 

Itaru gently rubbed circles on Tenma’s back. He still looked pale, though he had stopped shaking. “Deep breaths, Tenma.” 

Though silent, Tenma followed Itaru’s gentle instructions to  _ breathe in, hold, and breathe out _ . Omi frowned. “I’ve never seen Homare be that agitated. But I do understand. Many youkai already approach the Director in the human world, so she'd be very sought after in this world.”

“I’ve never actually seen a dragon up close before.” Sakuya mused, a hand under his chin and eyebrows furrowed.

“That was a dragon?” Omi blinked. “Now that you mention it… I haven’t seen a dragon in a very long time. I don’t think dragons are the type to snatch up humans to gain more powers.”

“Maybe they’re a familiar.” Sakuya tilted his head. “I didn’t sense any malicious aura from the dragon.”

Misumi nodded. “The Director is safe, but let’s go after Homare before he can get into a fight.”

Omi led the way through to the shrine. Though Itaru was scared himself, he walked behind Tenma with a hand on his shoulder. Tenma didn’t protest when Sakuya held his hand through the crowds.

Many eyes were focused on them as they walked through the festival grounds. The noises of the grounds had deeper, thinner, and more distorted voices. The youkai were all garbed up in wonderful costumes. There were many other types of youkai in the festival, and Itaru couldn’t take his eyes off the tails, horns, and extra appendages. Itaru found it quite strange that not one youkai approached them, but maybe it was because of Omi, Misumi, or even Homare’s presences that made them stay away.

Like a normal festival, there were food and trinket stalls. There were some questionable food items but Itaru decided to blank them out from his mind for his own peace. The lanterns flickered with fireflies and foxfire. The air smelled of delicious food. Fallen yellow gingko leaves and red maple leaves also covered the ground.

They soon got to the shrine. It didn’t look any different from the one in the other world, but he could see the stage behind it, in the same spot they supposedly entered the youkai world through. 

Standing in front of the shrine was a slim figure. Their long light hair was in a low ponytail, and they had crystal-like blue eyes. Their face has a delicate structure, and they even had some red eyeshadow on. They had an orange kimono on, one that glistened with golden gingko leaves at the bottom. Their red obi was intricately decorated with beautiful embroidery of silvergrass and dragonflies. They also wore a brown haori with simpler swirls of red, black, and orange running on its bottom.

“Director!”

Izumi turned to them with a relieved smile. She wore a blue kimono decorated with a silver embroidery of chrysanthemums, and a black obi decorated with several goldfishes. Her hair was also put up delicately with a colorful assortment of kanzashi. There was also a light gloss of makeup on her face. “Everyone!”

Homare doesn’t reply from where he’s hugging the Director from behind, not even lifting his head from the crook of her neck.

“Director, are you alright?” Misumi asked, concerned. 

Izumi nodded. “I didn’t get injured, though I was so worried about you guys. Especially Tenma, are you okay?”

Tenma frowned, not looking at her. “Director. I should be the one asking that, I wasn’t the one who got spirited away.”

Izumi laughed, “Well, I’m okay. How are you dealing with this world?”

“Okay, I guess.”

“Looks like Yuki would be happy when we come back,” Itaru joked. “You look fantastic, Director. You’re like the star of the show.”

Izumi couldn’t help the blush that ran across her cheeks at the compliment. “Thank you.”

“Oh right!” Izumi turned to the beautiful figure, Homare still clinging on tightly to her. “How long until the show, Kaetsu-sama?”

Kaetsu smiled. “Since my familiar bought you here way earlier than expected, you have much time before the show starts. Please, indulge yourself in some drinks as an apology.”

Before anyone could speak, the same dragon appeared again. It had beautiful white scales and a silky black mane. It wasn’t as long or large as Itaru expected, more like the size of the serpent they used in  _ Water Me! _ . There was a tray of tea on its head as they tipped their head to the actors. “Please have some tea, esteemed visitors.”

“Kaetsu-sama, do you have a high place where I can stand?”

The god tilted their head. “What for?”

“We would be using a spotlight in this presentation, and I would be controlling it.”

Kaetsu nodded slowly. “I see… would the roof of the shrine suffice?”

Izumi turned to look at it, studying it for a bit. “It would be, thank you so much.”

Kaetsu laughed. It was like a refreshing breeze on a summer afternoon. “The formal tone makes me sound older, young lady. You can drop the honorifics. Trust me, I’m as old as you if I were human.”

“Stop trying to make yourself sound younger.” Homare hissed. Kaetsu laughed. “I’m still the pinnacle of youth if you compare me to other gods.”

They seemed to remember something before turning to the rest of the group. They bowed to the actors, shocking them.

“Forgive the late introduction. I am Kaestu, land god of the Veludo Shrine. It is a pleasure to meet such budding actors and their director. I would also like to apologize for accidentally spiriting away Tachibana-san, as well.”


	7. Chapter 7

_ “After dropping out of kyudo for a year due to some family problems, Yoshikawa Hokuto finds himself returning to his master’s dojo. To make up for the lost time, he normally stays back after training. Even with constant training, he always misses his first shot.” _ Homare narrated, voice moderately loud.

_ “You’ll do well at the competition.”  _ Yamamoto was less tense than the Itaru from rehearsal, and the carefree yet watchful aura of the kyudo teacher was emphasized.  _ “Just believe in yourself, okay? Sensei and the rest of the team believe in you.” _

_ “I’ll win first place for the dojo!” _

_ “Sounds like you haven’t left at all. Make sure you don’t leave too late, okay? Then give the keys to the guard.” _

_ “I will!” _

Hokuto missed his first shot but hit the target on the other three shots. Akira slowly appeared in wisps of blue fox flames. Half of his face was covered by a fan, yet the mischievous intent could be still sensed. The two red stripes on Homare's face have receded a bit, though it was still visible.  _ “Do I have to make you leave, human?" _

_ “But, do you want me to?” _

_ “You’re a very cheeky brat. Do you not find it suffocating to practice in this cramped place?” _

_ “Huh? But, this is the only place in this town where there’s a place big enough for the range.” _

“ _ Have you not thought of going into the forest? It’s more spacious than whatever you peasants consider as large.” _

_ “Good advice… coming from you. _ ” 

_ “Did you say anything?” _

_ “Nothing, nothing. So, do I just go out into the forest?” _

_ “Yes, but remember the way back. You might forever find yourself endlessly wandering in a lightless forest.” _

Lights out, exit stage left, then spotlight on Hokuto. He emerged from stage left and walked through the forest, bow and quiver wrapped neatly and slung over his back. Hokuto looked around curiously before he sighed.  _ “Did Akira lie again? I can’t find a spacious place…what do I expect when I listen to a kitsune?” _

Hokuto paused in his steps, sighing.  _ “Oh well, I can’t wander out more since I won’t be able to go back by sundown.” _

He unwrapped his equipment, aiming for a tree off stage. Three successive shots.

_ "...It feels oddly refreshing to practice in the forest. I like it." _ Hokuto smiled, before picking up his bow again. He practiced for a bit more. The spotlight switched from Hokuto to Makoto—Tenma's character—who was looking around the forest frantically. Tenma was able to draw out the urgency in Makoto as he drew it from his own fear of the supernatural.

_ "Oi, Hokuto-senpai!" _ Hokuto looked around.

_ "Makoto-san?" _

_ "Senpai, where are you?! Don't tell me that you got snatched by youkai…"  _ The spotlight switched and followed around the two boys as they ran in circles around each other. The spotlight began to grow weaker as both of them were looking around frantically, the forest getting darker and darker.

_ “Makoto-san! I-I’ll try to shoot an arrow where you are, keep making noise!” _ Despite the tremble in his voice and hands, he took a deep breath. Makoto kept on yelling and stomping, even as he was visibly terrified. Izumi suspected that it was genuine since Tenma’s acting reminded her of a year ago. When Hokuto opened his eyes, they glowed with determination. He raised the bow, aiming towards the sound. 

_ One. Two. Three. Shoot! _

At the arrow’s release, the surroundings burst into light. Makoto barely managed to dodge the arrow, throwing himself against a tree. He clutched his head as Hokuto came over, looking frazzled.  _ “Makoto-san! Are you all right?” _

_ “Yeah…”  _

After helping Makoto stand up, both of them looked around. Makoto shifted uncomfortably.  _ “Do you also feel like we’re not supposed to be here?” _

_ “Yeah… Can we go back?” _

_ “How do we go back though? I can’t even see the village tower…” _

Hokuto shrugged.  _ “I’m not sure. Let me get my arrow back, though.” _

_ “I’ll come with you, Hokuto-senpai.” _

Both boys continued walking towards the direction the arrow went in, Makoto looking more guarded than before. After a while, they saw another person who studied the arrow stuck to the tree. When they turned around, Hokuto only blinked at the horn on their head. Makoto shuffled behind his upperclassman.

Kazuya, Omi’s character, gestured towards the arrow.  _ “Is this yours?” _

_ “Yes! Thank you…?” _

_ “Kazuya. I live around here.” _

_ “Thank you again, Kazuya-san. Do you know how we can get back to the village?” _

Subdued surprise bloomed in Kazuya’s eyes. He didn’t reply immediately, putting a hand under his chin in a thinking manner. The surroundings dimmed and the spotlight shone on Hokuto and Makoto. Makoto tugged on Hokuto’s kimono, whispering,  _ “Senpai.” _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “Is his horn real? He’s like a youkai… but it doesn’t feel like he’s going to eat us, even with the sword.” _

Hokuto huffed out a laugh,  _ “I’m scared too, you know. But we’ll never get back to the village if we don’t ask for help, right?” _

_ “Senpai.” _ Makoto frowned.  _ “You’re so fearless… how do you do it?” _

_ “Kyudo makes you really calm. I think it’s a side effect.” _

_ “Even in front of a youkai?” _

Hokuto chuckled,  _ “They’re only going to attack you when they sense fear. Try not to be scared, Makoto-san.” _

The spotlight goes out with Makoto pouting. They turned back to Kazuya, who nodded.  _ “I do not know where your village is, though I think someone may know. Follow me.” _

Kazuya began walking towards the stage right, Hokuto and Makoto following behind a bit more cautiously. Hokuto pauses to pull the arrow out of the tree. Blackout, then exit stage left. Misumi, playing Touya, silently emerged from stage right, placing down a bench then sitting down on it. The lights gently opened.

_ “Welcome, esteemed guests.” _ Touya smiled warmly. Kazuya crossed the stage to stand behind him. Makoto blinked.

_ “Sorry for interrupting.” _ Hokuto bowed, Makoto following after a pause. Misumi laughed, eyes crinkling. 

_ “Do not worry, it has been a long time since I got visitors. Do you mind entertaining me for a bit?” _

_ “Huh?” _

Hokuto spoke after a while.  _ “...I am not sure if I can offer much, but would kyudo be alright?” _

_ “Yes!”  _ Makoto nodded fervently. _ “Hokuto-senpai is great at kyudo! He never misses!” _

_ “Hey…”  _ Hokuto faintly protested, some cracks beginning to show in his calm facade.

_ “Very well. Show me what you have. Kazuya-kun, kindly put out a target for the young archer.” _

_ “Yes.” _

Makoto gave his upperclassman a smile as he gently pushed him. Hokuto looked at him, before sighing. After unwrapping his bow and preparing his arrows, the spotlight focused on him.  _ “They say that it’s always the first shot that counts, right? I don’t know if I can make the first one successful. What if I anger him and we never get out of the forest? I still want to see my siblings and father. I know Makoto has a little sister that looks up to him. I can’t fail him. I have to make it work.” _

Hokuto drew back the arrow as he spoke his monologue, arms slightly trembling with pent-up force.  _ “Please just let me hit this!” _

The arrow flies through the air, whistling. 

_ Thunk! _

Makoto gaped at the shot. Hokuto stared at the board with an expression of disbelief.  _ “Hokuto-senpai, you hit it!” _

Kazuya and Touya clapped, a small smile on the god’s face.  _ “Wonderful work, Hokuto-kun.” _

_ “I… I did it?” _

_ “You have skill and luck on your side, little one. Lift your chin.” _

_ “T-Thank you, kami-sama!”  _

Hokuto bowed again, almost dropping his bow. Makoto’s eyebrows furrowed at that.  _ “Senpai?” _

_ “Touya is my name. Good luck with the competition.” _

_ “Thank you for your blessings!” _ Makoto looked between them, still confused. Kazuya gave him a small smile when he looked at him.

The lights dimmed and Omi moved the target a bit further away. Misumi and Omi left the stage as Itaru entered from stage left. The spotlight illuminated Yamamoto, Hokuto, and Makoto.

_ “...Hokuto-senpai hit it straight on! It was like magic, sensei!” _ Makoto gushed, bouncing on his feet. Hokuto sheepishly laughed, as Yamamoto nodded.

_ “Getting back on your game, I see.” _

Hokuto smiled. _ “It seemed like the only thing I needed was confidence. It seems like a year away from kyudo hasn’t tarnished my skills too much.” _

_ “Chin up, Yoshikawa. You’ve always been skilled.” _

_ “Y-Yes! I’ll do my best, sensei!” _

The spotlight switched to Kazuya, Touya, and Akira to the side. Touya watched the trio of humans with a smile. Akira turned to him. 

_ “How does it feel being believed in again?” _

_ “Purposely misleading the humans was all part of your plan, was it not?” _

_ “Akira-dono has always been a trickster,”  _ Kazuya said, voice light.  _ “He sometimes has good intentions, admittedly.” _

_ “Sometimes?” _ Akira playfully frowned. _ “All my pranks are in good faith.” _

_ “Even lying to humans about the forest?”  _ Touya challenged, slightly laughing.  _ “It was quite a shock when they stumbled upon my abode. But nonetheless, it was a very fun session.” _

Kazuya managed a small smile. _ “It reminds me of the old days, Touya-dono. When warriors would come from all over for your blessings.” _

Touya shook his head.  _ “Reflecting on the past will bring us no good, Kazuya-kun. The past full of blood forever looms over us, but we must learn to move to the future. The future holds new beginnings for us.” _

“That was super fun!” Misumi gushed once they got off the stage. There was loud applause from the otherworldly audience and even some hollers. Izumi and Kaetsu were already waiting for them at the entrance of the shrine.

“That was fantastic everyone! Good work!” Izumi grinned, her clothes and makeup making her shine. Kaetsu smiled at them.

“It has been such a long time ever since we got humans to perform for us.” They laughed. “It makes me feel old when I think of the budding days of theater.”

“Veludo wasn’t always a theater heartland?” Sakuya asked. 

Kaetsu nodded. “There were days when people couldn’t even understand the beauty of the arts. Only bloodshed was on their minds. But I’m glad that art thrives in my land now. It’s so much more exciting to venture out into the human world.”

Izumi’s eyes widened. “That means… you’ve watched one of our plays?!”

“Perhaps.” Kaetsu laughed. “Now, are you all hungry? We have a banquet for our visitors.” 

Tenma’s stomach grumbled in response. Oh right, he hasn’t eaten lunch because he was scared of throwing up from anxiety. Sakuya began tugging Tenma into the shrine. “Come on, Tenma! Kaetsu-sama’s banquets are so good!”

That got the rest of the group into motion. Kaetsu and Izumi continued talking as they made their way in. Itaru was meanwhile speculating with Omi on what the food could be, and if they could take some home.

Misumi paused right before he could step into the shrine. There was something making him uneasy entering a shrine. He hasn’t entered a shrine before, and he doesn’t know if he can’t.

“Misumi? Are you not coming inside?”

Homare’s voice was kinder than earlier as he addressed the god. It seemed that he hadn't forgotten their conversation on the roof. Misumi shook his head. 

“I’m coming!”

Homare slightly smiled at him. “I’ve told you. Not having a shrine doesn’t make you less of a god.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Don’t be shy! You’re all welcome to fill yourselves!”

The table had plates of beautifully plated food in all varieties and sizes, and the room was overflowing with the scent of freshly cooked food. Youkai of all sizes stood in a neat line to welcome them into the dining area. This could be enough for a whole week with bentos, and there would still be leftovers!

Izumi sat there awkwardly, feeling intimidated as she sat to the land god’s right. The others had also seemed quite awkward, and only Sakuya and Homare seemed used to this. Sakuya muttered a prayer and began eating, “Thank you for the meal!”

Tenma shifted beside him nervously. “Oi…”

A red-skinned oni with a gigantic horn on its head slapped Tenma’s back with a hearty laugh. “C’mon kiddo, don’t be shy!”

“I-I’m not…”

Sakuya put a small and daintily roasted fish on Tenma’s plate with a smile. “Here! The fish here in the mountains are super tasty!”

Tenma muttered his own thanks and took the fish Sakuya had offered him. Despite its small size, he nodded as he chewed. “It has a nice smoky flavor… It’s delicious”

Misumi raised a carrot to show Tenma, with a bright grin on his face.“Tenma, look! The veggies are triangles!”

Tenma’s scrunch of his nose and furrow of eyebrows made Sakuya laugh. One of the tanukis giggled. “We cut it in triangles for Misumi-sama!”

“For me? Thank you so much!” He gasped, before taking a few triangles from his kimono. “Have these shiny triangles!”

The tanukis seemed to multiply as Misumi patiently handed them the triangles individually. One of them cried out, “Thank you so much, Misumi-sama! Oh, 'tis a lucky day to be blessed by a god himself!

One of the tanukis shifted into a young human boy, clapping their hands together. The leaf on their head remained undisturbed. “Tell us stories of the outside world!”

“What do you guys want to hear about?” Omi asked, smiling at the youkai.

“These boxes!” The tanuki boy waved around a familiar silver phone. “It’s so tiny but it has a light!”

Itaru squinted at the phone, patting at the folds of his costume. He frowned. “...That’s my phone.”

“Aww, don’t be mad, mister! Look in your pocket again!” 

Itaru took out his phone with wide eyes. “Oh, nice. Tanuki powers, right?”

“Yep!” They shifted back into their raccoon form, yet the mischievous grin was still present. “I transformed a rock into a house one time and the humans were so confused!”

“Can you transform leaves into money?”

“Is that a challenge?”

_ Wow, Itaru doesn’t look out of place at all. Tenma still looks scared, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to run out of the room anymore. _

Unlike curry, the food wasn’t as spicy as Izumi would’ve liked, but she could appreciate the simple flavors. It was flavorful in its own way, one that was truly reminiscent of the food she ate before she moved to Veludo. The simplicity of the cooking method really made the natural flavors of the food shine. Despite the difference between spiritual and earthly beings, the food seemed to tie them together. Though she could probably never understand the reason for some of their actions, she could sympathize with them.

“Hello there, Tachibana-san!”

Izumi ended up coughing on her food from surprise, lightly hitting her chest. Kaetsu was holding a bottle of sake, smiling sheepishly at her. They laugh softly. “Sorry about that, my dear.”

“Sorry about that, Kaetsu-sama.” 

They raised the bottle, “May I pour you sake?”

“I can’t possibly ask you to do that!” Izumi shook her head frantically.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kaetsu did a few hand gestures, lifting the sake cup and pouring sake into it. It moved to float in front of Izumi, who takes it with some reluctance. “Think of it as my apology.”

“For what?”

“I was quite careless with my words.” Kaetsu shook their head with a frown. “It is my fault my Ryuunosuke bought you here.”

“It’s alright, I’m just happy everything got resolved.” The sake was sweet and left a slight burn of alcohol when Izumi finishes the cup.

Kaetsu stared at her unblinkingly, as if trying to figure out something. Izumi was beginning to get unnerved by the god’s sharp stare, their slitted eyes becoming more apparent. She found her cup being filled with the levitating sake bottle, even as Kaetsu stared at her. After a while, they look away with a nostalgic smile, “You’re truly a kind human, Tachibana-san. Humans like you come around rarely. That’s the reason youkai gravitate to you.”

The bottle filled another cup that Kaetsu picked up. They smiled into their drink, “Though it doesn’t seem like your familiar likes it.”

Izumi jumped at the uncharacteristic hissing from Homare beside her, “Are you getting senile?”

His ears and tail were straight as a rod, and his bared teeth were longer than usual. His eyebrows were furrowed, red eyes glimmering dangerously.

Kaetsu was unbothered, even laughing a bit, “All in good faith, my friend.”

Homare’s tails continued swaying languidly, his ears twitching. Despite his relaxed stance, he still bared his fangs at the land god with narrowed eyes. If Izumi had to be honest, Homare looked like a cranky housecat than a youkai now. But he’d probably prank her for the next few days if she said that.

“Cranky as ever, I see.” Kaetsu giggled, but they did another set of gestures to serve Homare sake. The kitsune took it with a scowl. “You’ve done a good job at keeping him in line, Tachibana-san. He used to go around terrorizing the poor villagers for fun, you know.”

Homare rolled his eyes. “Such senseless things. The search for art is far more fulfilling than drawing out blood.”

Izumi remembered the first time they met Homare. He had genuinely looked terrifying, fitting every part of the stories. His flames were the color of blood, unlike the calming blue it was now. Even if that experience was scary, Izumi knows better now. He truly didn’t have control over his actions at that time, and he was willing to make amends too. He was willing to go through the so-called “mundane” processes, so he could understand the reason for human actions.

You could never find a kitsune that tries to bake carrot cake for the others like Homare did, after all.

“Now, look what you did to my dear director.” Homare sighed, his tails coming to wrap around Izumi protectively. His tails were soft and well-maintained, even with how frequently Hisoka slept on them. He must have taken her silence for something negative. “Rest assured, Director. I have no intention of drawing out blood anymore. You’re welcome to subject me to punishment should I go over my limits.”

Izumi nodded, staring at the kitsune with a serious look of her own, “I’ll take your word for it. I trust you, Homare.”

Homare paused. After a few minutes, he smiled, red eyes softening from their agitated look earlier. “Thank you, director. I will not break the trust you have given me.”

“How sweet,” Kaetsu laughed fondly into their sake. Homare’s tails straightened, and for a moment, Izumi could feel annoyance rolling off him in waves. But, he let out a sigh, curling his tails curled around Izumi once again.

“Quite the lively occasion.”

The deep voice echoed in their minds, as they heard the splashing of water from outside. A larger than average tiger leaps on the hallway, blue stripes glimmering under the lights. Beads of water clung to their fur. Yellow eyes watched the festive youkai around the room, before landing on the Izumi. From the stare alone, it commanded and exuded energy. It was unlike the land god’s gentle aura and more of the wild and malicious aura from the youkai that wanted to harm humans for amusement. The tiger’s presence was overbearing yet they crossed the hall with silent steps.

“Ezume-san!”

Sakuya beamed from across the table, waving. Tenma looked at where he was waving, and Izumi spotted him going pale, freezing up.

Kaetsu put out another cup of sake for the tiger, “You took a while, didn’t you?”

Ezume, as Sakuya called them, only narrowed their eyes at the land god. “I do not have much free time as you, land god.”

“I see.” Despite the comment, Izumi spotted Kaetsu smiling as they downed another cup of sake. It seemed that even with the sharp comments from Homare and Ezume, Kaetsu took it all in stride. That trait of acceptance reminded Izumi of Misumi, who would always extend a helping hand to humans, youkai, and animals alike.  _ Must be a god thing... _

Ezume moved to Sakuya. “How have you been, lad?”

“I’m doing well!” Sakuya grinned. “It’s fun to act with everyone! These are my friends at Mankai! They’re all super nice and fun to act with!”

One by one, Ezume glanced at the actors. Itaru shuddered when he felt the gaze on him while watching the tanuki’s transformation acts. Omi and Misumi gave a curt nod to the youkai, while Homare only flicked one of his tails as a response. Tenma was halfway hiding behind Sakuya when Ezume’s sharp eyes landed on him. The actor flinched.

Izumi couldn’t hide the shudder that ran through her body when the tiger’s sharp eyes landed on her again. She could definitely understand Tenma’s fear of the spirits now. The suiko looked like they were going to attack, after all! It must be the years of living with the tiger, but Sakuya didn’t look the least bit unnerved. Far from it, actually.

“Tachibana Izumi.”

Izumi straightened up. “Y-Yes!”

_ Am I about to get cursed? Oh gosh, please don’t pick a fight! I don’t think the budget could cover repairs for the shrine.  _ Despite her worries, she doesn’t feel as scared as she normally would. Was it the warmth from Homare’s tails? Or the alcohol making her loosen up? Or the festive aura of the banquet hall?

Ezume bowed their head, ears pressing to its head. “I thank you.”

“Huh…?”

“I cannot thank you enough for taking in my lad. It has been a worry of mine that he will never learn to return to human society after living in the youkai realm for so long. Not only have you accepted Sakuya into your troupe, but you have also taught him how to live alongside humans once again.”

_ Oh yeah, Homare mentioned that humans living in the youkai would be stuck in a state of living and dying if they stayed in this world for too long.  _

“Please continue taking care of him.” 

“Of course.”

“Ezume, the sake’s going to change flavor if you don’t drink it now,” Kaetsu playfully frowned, making the sake cup float in front of them. “Will you not indulge with even one sip?”

“I am busy.”

Kaetsu laughed. “But not busy enough to not watch the performance earlier. The proud look on your face was oddly fitting, you know?”

Ezume sighed, much like Homare, as Kaetsu made the sake cup shake a bit. There’s an expectant look on the land god’s face. A few moments pass and white light covers their form. Along with the sounds of cloth ruffling and light cracks, the white light finally faded. A youthful-looking face replaced the tiger snout along with long white hair cascading down their back in a waterfall. Their black nails were long and pointed. They wrote a plain deep blue kimono with a brown obi.

“I haven’t seen you transform in a while, Ezume-san!” Sakuya noted, as their eyes open to reveal slitted yellow pupils. The youkai took the sake cup with a nod. Despite the indifferent expression on their pale face, Izumi could hear the warmth in the tiger’s voice. “I do not mind transforming. I cannot digest alcohol in my true form anyway. You are more comfortable with me in this form, correct?”

“Yes!” Izumi didn’t know it was possible, but Sakuya’s smile even got brighter at that. Homare’s tails were swaying in a relaxed manner, though one tail was still wrapped around her. 

Kaetsu laughed, raising the sake bottle. “Let’s enjoy this party!” 


	9. Chapter 9

“This is a lot.” Sakyo tried to peek over the tall stack of boxes, yet he could barely see the top. No, he wasn’t going to go on tiptoes just to see the top. He doubted he could even see the top. 

Homare laughed from behind him. “The gods are very generous, you know.”

Sakyo groaned, picking up one of the smaller boxes. It was pretty heavy and it would produce a muffled sound every time he’d move. Homare transformed into his fox form, leaping up on the boxes with his lithe form. He turned around with an apologetic smile, “I apologize, my dear Sakyo, but it seems that my editor has called a meeting. I cannot delay any further.”

“Get going if you’re busy then.” 

“Tell the Director that I might not be back by dinner.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Through the stack of boxes, Sakyo hears the door softly close. He walked into the lounge, almost bumping into Juza. Juza muttered an apology, before spotting the box in his hands, “Are there more boxes?”

“At the doorway. Make it quick, before the others arrive.”

“Got it.”

“I appreciate the blessings but did they really have to put it in the doorway? Not everybody’s built like Ikaruga…” Sakyo grumbled, putting the box at the counter. Juza appeared at the doorway, carrying two medium-sized boxes with a smaller box on top.

“Where do I put them?” 

“By the counter.”

Juza navigated his way through the lounge, settling the boxes down with a soft thud. He sniffed at the air. “Something smells sweet…”

Sakyo recognized the sweet tones in the air that were coming from the small box. “Oi, Hyodo. That’s sake.”

“Oh.”

“I’m ho— Woah!” From the loud thump, Sakyo guessed that Izumi ran directly into the heap of boxes at the doorway. 

“Watch out, Director.”

“Sakyo? What’s with boxes here?”

"They're from the shrine. Pass by the right side." After making her way through the mountain of boxes, Izumi could finally toe-off her shoes and into her house slippers. She rubbed at her forehead, looking back. 

“How are we even going to use all of these?” Izumi pondered, opening one of the boxes. A neatly arranged row of radishes and carrots was in the box. She hummed then turned to Sakyo. “How about a carrot and radish curry?”

“Rejected.”

Izumi pouted at the instant response. Seeing the carrots in the box, Juza suggested carrot cake. They discussed among themselves which meals they could prepare, Sakyo and Juza immediately turning down bean curry and other variations. It took a while, but they soon got all of the boxes out of the foyer and into the lounge. 

“We’re home!” Muku and Yuki called out. Izumi looked up from descaling the fish at the sink. “Welcome back! How was school?”

Muku went straight to the fridge for a drink, eyeing the boxes as he passed them. Yuki rolled his eyes, collapsing on the couch across Juza. “Another day, another attempted exorcism. Those idiots never learn, I swear.”

“We could file charges against them,” Sakyo suggested. Though the attempted exorcisms of the tsukumogami were few and far in between, Izumi swore she was shedding lifespan every time she got a call from the school. Seems Yuki’s reputation has followed him even if he went to another high school. Yuki’s otherworldly aura was one of his charms on the stage, though it could get bothersome in situations like this.

Yuki waved his hand. “Too bothersome. I’ll just haunt them. Maybe snip up a few of their clothes.”

“Yuki, no.” 

“Chill, Director. I’ll make sure they won’t see me.”

“But still—”

“Ow!” 

Muku clutched his head from where it met the fridge, rubbing at the spot while muttering to himself. Despite the pain, he turned to Yuki with a wide-eyed expression. “Yuki, wasn’t  _ that  _ supposed to arrive today?”

“Huh?” Yuki raised an eyebrow, visibly confused. “What do you mean  _ that _ ?”

“You know… that!”

Even after several seconds, Yuki was still confused. Sakyo sighed, “Whatever that is, make sure it’s not illegal.”

“We’re still on the police watchlist for last month’s riot…” Juza muttered. Sakyo tried to hold back a sigh from that. It was an enchanting paper talisman that was put on Tasuku that caused the fight between his fans from his Godza days and Mankai fans. Luckily, Taichi had managed to cancel out the spell on the charm. 

“It’s not!” Muku insisted, shaking his head frantically. “Just something we had custom-made for Misumi!”

“Oh.” A flash of recognition flickered in Yuki’s eyes, and he glared at the boxes. “Don’t tell me we have to look through _ all _ these boxes.”

Muku laughed sheepishly, “Looks like we have to.”

“Help us go through all of these gifts so the Director won’t make fish curry tonight,” Sakyo says, already opening one of the boxes. He placed a musk melon on the counter. Izumi frowned. “Do you want curry that bad, Sakyo?”

Yuki scoffed. “What a pain.”

Much like the banquet at the festival, it took them almost an hour of opening the boxes for them to finally find the box. It was one of the first boxes Juza had bought in, and it was buried in the other boxes. The box they were looking for had the logo of a locally known woodwork shop. Aside from the vegetables and fruits, they had also found a beautifully made teapot set, a colorful assortment of folding fans, and traditionally patterned bolts of cloth. There was a box with Tsuzuru’s name written on it, and they left it on the table for now.

Yuki had immediately latched onto the bolts of cloth, muttering how soft and beautifully patterned they were. It didn’t take supernatural sight to see that the tsukomogami was already thrilled to transform.

“We’ll be in 202, Director! Can you please keep Misumi from entering the room?”

Izumi blinked. “Huh? Are you guys preparing something?”

Muku nodded. “We don’t really wanna leave out Misumi, but it’ll only be for a little while!”

“Sure.”

“Thank you, Director!”

“Yo, fam! I’m here!”

“You’re late, Kazunari.”

“Make it quick so it can still dry in time. Come on, we don’t have much time left before they come home.”

“Yep, yep! Woah, that’s some really smooth painting on the walls!”

“Of course, _ I _ painted it!”

“...Oh, um, Tenma? You got some acrylic paint on your hands.”

“Crap… how do you remove this?!”

“You can just put baby oil and alcohol over it, Tenma-san!”

"Is the triangle lace dry yet, Muku?"

"Not yet."

"Do we still have glue sticks? There's still a lot of roof tiling left…"

"Mini Hyodo, you used too much glue! The roof's uneven."

"Nah, I think it actually works, Yukki! There's some crafty charm to it."

"Have you finished painting that, Hack?"

"Can you wait a minute? I'm almost done."

"It's been fifteen minutes."

"Make it sixteen."

“We’re home!” Misumi, Hisoka, and Sakuya called out, entering the lounge. Omi waved from behind the counter. 

“Welcome back, you three. How was the shift at the supermarket?”

“We got to put on an improv with the animal costumes!” Sakuya answered, beaming. 

Misumi nodded, smiling widely. He gave Omi a triangular pizza keychain, to which Omi smiled warmly at him. “It was fun! I got to play the triangle cat!”

“It was fun…” Hisoka yawned, sitting on the couch. He was already trailing off into some much-needed sleep. “The kids were nice and the costume was comfier than the other ones I’ve worn...”

“Are you three hungry? I can whip up a quick snack.” Omi offered, already opening the enchanted cupboards. 

“Yes, please. Thank you, Omi!”

A few minutes later, Misumi was trying to rouse a napping Hisoka while chewing on some hanami dango. Sakuya hummed from where he was munching on the snack, nodding with fervor. “This is really good, Omi!”

“I didn’t make them. They just arrived from the shrine earlier, so they’re still pretty fresh.”

“Oh!” Misumi gaped. “No wonder they tasted familiar! The nice lady at the shrine would offer me dango when I would hang out with the crows.”

“Nice lady…?”

“Do you know her, Omi?” Misumi asked, finally managing to wake up Hisoka. Hisoka yawned, blinking for a few seconds before grabbing a stick of hanami dango. Omi shook his head, a smile on his lips. 

“I don’t think so.”

“Awww. I’ll just say thank you to her next time for always sharing dango with me!”

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

"Sumi-san!"

They all looked towards Kumon, which had burst into the lounge. Misumi waved. "I'm home!"

Kumon opened his mouth to say something as he spotted the dango, before shaking his head. He looked at Misumi with a grin. "Come up to Tenma and Yuki's room when you're done! We have a triangle surprise for you!"

"Triangle surprises are the best surprises!" Misumi grinned, quickly chowing down the dango. He placed the stick on the plate, jumping to join Kumon. They left the room, talking about the triangles both of them found today.

The lounge was left in relative silence, the sounds of breathing and chewing a pleasant background noise. Hisoka finished off two sticks of dango before flopping down on the couch. He made himself comfortable on Sakuya's leg and it didn't even take a minute for him to fall asleep.

Sakuya spoke up after a while. "The nice lady was Kaetsu-sama, right?"

"Yes." Omi nodded. "I think the dango was their way of making friends with Misumi."

"Kaetsu-sama's dango are always so yummy!"

_ "Happy Shrine Day, Misumi!" _

Misumi blinked. Yuki smacked Tenma's arm, scowling.

"You were supposed to let him sit before saying it!"

Kazunari laughed, "Don't sweat the small details, Yukki! Tenten's the most excited of us, after all."

"I… ugh." Tenma’s retort fell flat, and he settled for a groan instead.

As per their supposed plan, Misumi was led to a beanbag with Muku gently pulling him. Tenma got something from the desk, presenting it to Misumi with a smaller, but not subdued smile.

The tiny shrine in his hands was constructed on a board that was big enough to need both hands to lift it. The tiling on the roof was wonky and had some cracks of cooled glue showing through the red paint. The main body of the shrine was more delicately made than the roof, a few white triangles on the varnished wood. The shoji doors of the shrine were delicately made, and it was half open to show the neat interior too. The red torii gate's craftsmanship was similar to the roof, a bit of cooled glue peeking through the red paint.  _ Misumi _ was vertically written on a wood attached to the gate, varnished as the rest of the shrine was. The saisen box had a small golden triangle on it in lieu of writing.

They waited for any reaction from the god, but they didn't expect tears to begin falling.  _ Plip-plop. _

"O-Oi." Tenma exclaimed. "You okay, Misumi?"

Kazunari immediately jumped to get a pack of tissues from his desk. Yuki lightly tapped Tenma's arm, a small smile on his face and with aged eyes. It was at moments like this that Tenma was reminded that Yuki was way older than him. "Being given a shrine is a huge thing for us youkai. It tells us of the appreciation and gratitude people have in us."

“Y-You guys didn’t need to do this.” Misumi’s voice cracked.

“But we wanted to. Gods have shrines, right? Those shrines are where they belong." Kazunari said, offering a tissue to Misumi, who took it with a watery smile. 

When Misumi took the tiny shrine, he was unable to hold it in anymore, more tears falling on the tiny roof. No sobs wracked his body, just tears falling on the acrylic painted wood with a faint plip-plop. It was Kumon who first stepped forward to gently wrap his arms around Misumi from the side.

That managed to get a sniffle from the god.

Kazunari stood up to make his way behind Misumi, putting his arms around his neck and putting his chin on his head. He softly muttered, “If you ever need a bigger shrine, just tell us, okay?”

Warm hands settled themselves on his knees.  _ Muku. _

A familiar weight slightly tousled his hair with a laugh.  _ Tenma. _

A slightly awkward hand that tried to find someplace to settle at, curling around the crook of his arm instead.  _ Yuki. _

They stayed like that, listening to the sounds of their intertwined heartbeats as it synchronized with the plip-plop of tears and his sniffles. Misumi was grateful he had found his way here. He preferred being a shrineless god than a god who didn't have any friends. 

He knew that they couldn't stay like that forever, so he savored these moments. The humans weren't going to be around forever, and neither were the youkai. Immortal as they were, they couldn't stay here eternally. Everything was bound to change at one point.

Misumi let the feeling of warmth and comfort settle into his bones and soul. Memorizing every sound, sensation, and feeling. Cherishing these moments that could never come again.

_ Peace. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading all the way here! 
> 
> Notes:  
> Kitsune - fox youkai. They have one tail at the start, and for every 100 years, they gain another one.  
> Tsukomogami - an object that is over 100 years old and has gained a kami (soul).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Artwork for "Performace of the Gods"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29896776) by Anonymous 




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